By Renuka Christoph
Plan for an action packed weekend at Bridgestone with Marvel Universe Live! It’s a unique chance to watch your favorite superhero defeat the villainous plot of Green Goblin, Electro and more. It’s a must see for Marvel fans where comic book and movie favs are brought live onstage.
“From the beginning we knew that to pull off a show of this magnitude we had to have a cast that was the closest thing we could find to real life SuperHeroes,” said Shanda Sawyer, director of Marvel Universe LIVE!.
“These are intense roles that require performers who are experts in their fields with the ability to take those skills and apply them to a number of meticulously crafted sequences, all designed to push the limits of anything the audience has ever seen in an arena show of this caliber–and they need to do this day in and day out.”
Marvel Universe LIVE! will captivate audiences with an authentic and original story that brings more than 25 Marvel characters together on one epic quest. The story is framed around the battle over the Cosmic Cube, the source of ultimate power and one of the most feared and coveted treasures in the Marvel Universe, that has been shattered into pieces by the mighty Thor in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
With the pieces scattered across the globe, Thor’s villainous brother, Loki, devises a scheme to clone its powers, inciting a threat that could not only decimate Earth but also obliterate the Universe.
Below is an interview with production manager Randy Foster on what all ages can look forward to.
Renuaka Christoph: embraces a broad audience group. Will the special effects appeal to all ages?
Randy Foster: Absolutely! The special effects used in Marvel Universe Live! will appeal to all ages. The effects include first-class pyro, innovative 3-D projection mapping and spotlight tracking which have never been used in such a way in the history of live entertainment. If you like action movies, you will love seeing the same style effects right in front of your eyes. It is truly amazing for any age.
RC: What can fans look forward to the most?
RF: Marvel Universe Live! is the only way you get to see The Avengers, the X-Men, and Spiderman all in the same location. Licensing issues at this point don’t allow these three groups to be in the same movies, so this is a rare opportunity to see all of your favorites.
RC: What posed the greatest challenge on set?
RF: Taking a group of individual performers and turning them into America’s most iconic characters is incredibly difficult. Creating effects that are able to bring those icons to life on stage multiple times a week and making them SUPER is nearly impossible. This is why our rehearsal process lasted months, as opposed to weeks, so we could do things that up until recently have only been done with ink and pen. We don’t have the option of CGI in live entertainment, but people still expect their super heroes to be super.
RC: How complex is the technology for the show?
RF: It is, quite simply, the most advanced production in the world. With the 3-D mapping technology used on the show, we have the ability to bring the audiences into the comic world. This isn’t the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is the comic world in an arena setting. The technology involved truly becomes a character in the piece. It isn’t often audiences can enjoy the thrill of riding from Stark Tower to the desert in a Quinjet from the comfort of their seats. It really is spectacular to watch, and I’ve seen it over a hundred times.
Closing comments:
Feld Entertainment has upped the ante in live entertainment yet again with Marvel Universe Live! The performances are wonderful. The stunts are dynamic. The special effects are spectacular. There truly isn’t another show of its type anywhere in the world. The size and scope of the show only lets us play in select cities across North America, and I am so pleased one of those cities is Nashville, which I call home. It will be phenomenal to be back at Bridgestone Arena, one of the finest venues in the country.
Dates at Bridgestone Arena:
Friday, December 12, 2014 , 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 13, 2014 , 11:00 AM
Saturday, December 13, 2014 , 3:00 PM
Saturday, December 13, 2014 , 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 14, 2014 , 1:00 PM
Sunday, December 14, 2014 , 5:00 PM
Reserve tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_homeA_header_search&user_input=marvel&q=marvel